Dagger

[quote name='otakulab']damn i wish it wasn?t so early and I knew how to properly translate that setance, but Im pretty sure that you?re not to favorable on those titles.[/quote] No, I enjoy Tsubasa and Xxxholic--I just happen to think that their freakishly capitalized titles are rather idiotic. Overall, they're certainly a huge step up from stuff like Chobits and Angelic Layer. Battle Vixens actually [i]has[/i] been made into an anime. It's called Ikkitousen, and should be coming out in North America pretty soon. ^_^ [quote name='Okita']Dagger IX1: can you provide a little info on Princess Ai? basic story and such. I've never seen the series but you've got me intrgued, and I'm a sucker for gothic setting work...[/quote] Tokyopop's summary says,"Ai is the only princess of a magical kingdom caught in the midst of a horrific revolution. When Princess Ai makes a hasty escape from her war-torn land, she finds herself in modern-day Tokyo. Confused and in shock, Ai wanders the streets in this strange new land to unravel the secrets that could tear her and her kingdom apart." The manga was serialized in Japan's [i]Wings[/i] magazine. By the way, I believe that the Vulgar Ghost Daydream OVA came out in Japan several days ago. Here's a link to Bandai's official site. [URL=http://www.bandaivisual.co.jp/dbeat/teizoku/]http://www.bandaivisual.co.jp/dbeat/teizoku/[/URL] ~Dagger~

Welcome to OtakuBoards, Animefreek. ^_^ Versus topics are rarely permitted in this forum. After all, the merits of various anime can be discussed within their individual official threads. As your post quality is also somewhat lacking, I would strongly suggest that you take a look at the Rules and FAQ (just click on the links located toward the top of the navigation bar at your left). We place a strong emphasis on thoughtfulness in addition to proper spelling and punctuation. If you have any questions, you're quite welcome to PM me or one of the other moderators. Thank you very much. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

I wasn't sure what forum this thread belonged in... so your input would be greatly appreciated. ^_^;; Anyway, I don't own much manga, but there are still a couple of series that I'd love to see as anime. [b]Princess Ai:[/b] I've only read a brief excerpt of this title (volume 1 streets in early July). However, Tokyopop has been marketing it very heavily. With a storyline by Courtney Love--yes, that Courtney Love--and character designs by the creator of Paradise Kiss, Princess Ai has stylish shoujo-gothic artwork and a fascinating premise. Now, the main reason I'm mentioning the manga is that one of Tokyopop's TV ads, which recently started running on Adult Swim, consists of several brief animated segments featuring Princess Ai's male and female leads. While there is no Princess Ai OVA or TV show (at least not to my knowledge), the commercial looked and sounded so fantastic that I desperately wished the anime existed. [b]Legal Drug:[/b] In my opinion, Legal Drug is one of CLAMP's finest works. It has the entrancing, almost eerie atmosphere found in manga like Tokyo Babylon and Xxxholic. The drawing is also top-notch. Since Xxxholic and Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicle--I refuse to monkey around with those titles' silly "official" capitalization--are set to become a movie and a series (respectively) in 2005, I have high hopes for Legal Drug. Presumably its shounen-ai content would end up being somewhat toned down for television, but I think I can live with that. ^_~ ~Dagger~

I wish I didn't change my mind about specific series so often. It's rather inconvenient. ^_^;; Oh, well... I can't exactly complain. I started to revisit a series which I had really, really thought I would enjoy, and I've discovered that it is in fact quite nicely suited to my tastes. Having become more comfortable with the characters, I'm starting to find their antics amusing (while in earlier episodes the attempts at comedy just annoyed me). It helps that Full Metal Panic's dub improves drastically around episode 9, and from thence forward is absolutely stellar. Now I'm actually looking forward to ADV's release of Fumoffu, the more humorous and light-hearted second season. ~Dagger~

Fantasy Child, anything and everything related to anime music can be posted in this thread. I merged your topic with the pre-existing one because duplicate or overly specific threads are generally to be avoided. Additionally, please bear in mind that the vast majority of free mp3s are illegal, and therefore it's not really appropriate for you to request them here (refer to the Rules if you have any questions about our policies). With that having been said, welcome to OtakuBoards. ^_^ ~Dagger~

I just saw Aoi-Anime's version of episode 4, and it provided a great conclusion to the two-episode yakuza arc. I was pleasantly surprised that [spoiler]Mugen decided to rescue Fuu, even if he did return too late. For someone with such a simple outlook on life, he's actually rather complicated and unpredictable. Jin, while practical, seems to be a touch more idealistic or at least merciful--I can't imagine Mugen putting up with a hot-headed young kid, and I think it's telling that they ended up on opposite sides.[/spoiler] According to the official site, Fuu is only [i]fifteen[/i] years old, while Jin and Mugen are both around twenty (I may be remembering this incorrectly, but I do recall feeling shocked that she wasn't supposed to be at least seventeen or eighteen). Anyway, Fuu is just such a fantastic character; she's cute, resourceful and funny as hell. I'm now eagerly trying to track down episode 5. Okita: Sorry, I have no idea. ^_^;; ~Dagger~

Mmm, episode 3 has some great action. I loved watching Jin [spoiler]pretend to be a woman[/spoiler]--that scene was just too funny for words. This series showcases the kind of anime comedy I love: sardonic and understated, with hilarious (but not over-exaggerated) facial expressions and plenty of dry one-liners. It's interesting how the anime manages to reunite its main characters time and time again without making their meetings feel forced or the events that led to those meetings seem like artificial plot devices. The only thing which bothers me about Samurai Champloo is that certain parts of the episodes I've seen so far are [i]very[/i] Rurouni Kenshin-esque. As Hittokiri already mentioned, the second episode's storyline is a particularly strong example of this. I also instantly thought of Shishio when the yakuza leader in episode 3 said something about the strong existing to devour the weak. Anyway, I can't wait to find out [spoiler]what happens when Jin and Mugen finally continue their on-again, off-again battle.[/spoiler] ^_^ ~Dagger~

Thank goodness that you posted this, Zidargh. Your comments are intelligently presented, and I agree with everything you've said. I find it really bizarre that people post in threads which they [i]know[/i] are eventually going to be closed. ^_^; While "playing mod" does irk me, flat-out rudeness is equally aggravating, and ends up hurting more people than the one who was originally insulted. It affects the entire forum's atmosphere, making the community seem disrespectful and unwelcoming. Part of the reason I love OtakuBoards is because the members here are normally quite flexible, kind and understanding. Let's try to keep that from changing. ~Dagger~

Overlord_Ray, please add spoiler tags the next time you reveal critical information about an anime's plot. Simply type [*spoiler]text[/spoiler], but be careful to omit the asterisk. Also, I'd like you to start using periods a bit more liberally--as of now your entire post is one enormous run-on sentence. I had a very hard time figuring out what you were trying to say. ^_^; Now that those minor issues are taken care of, welcome to OtakuBoards. Feel free to PM me or one of the other moderators if you have any questions or concerns. ^_^ ~Dagger~

I am such a bloody idiot. How could I possibly forget to mention Miyazaki's latest movie, Howl's Moving Castle? It's [I]only[/I] based on one of my favorite books of all time. :rolleyes: But all sarcasm aside, I can't wait to see this film. The title character looks fabulous, and the new two-minute trailer (which can be downloaded from the link below) has definitely heightened my excitement and expectations. [URL=http://www.tzone.org/~llin/clips/Howl_Trailer_20040626.avi]http://www.tzone.org/~llin/clips/Howl_Trailer_20040626.avi[/URL] Sensei no Ojikan is one of the few anime comedies which I actually enjoy. Admittedly, its non-serious frankness about homosexuality plays a big role in that (although Kitagawa's obsession with Mika-sensei tends to be more creepy than cute). Watching bizarrely frenetic series like Jubei-chan and Jubei-chan 2 increases my appreciation of Sensei no Ojikan and other relatively calm comedies. ~Dagger~

I have a lot to look forward to this season. [b]Samurai 7[/b] and [b]Samuari Champloo[/b] are both promising series, and a number of intriguing promos have just been released as well. If nothing else, I'll get to see a whole variety of artistic styles on display, some of them quite innovative and exciting. Below I've listed a couple of the shows that have caught my interest (either through trailers, promotional images or word-of-mouth). [b]Kurau, Phantom Memory:[/b] While I think all studios have their flaws, I love almost every BONES anime I've seen (RahXephon, Scrapped Princess, Wolf's Rain, etc). Their track record is rather good, especially in terms of creating impeccably consistent artwork. Judging by its promo, Kurau will feature strong production values (one of BONES's biggest strengths), and the story sounds as though it could be pretty interesting. [b]Maria-sama ga Miteru, Season 2:[/b] I went straight from hating Marimite to loving it, and now I can't wait for the next thirteen episodes. New characters, the Roses' graduation and a slightly older, even cuter-looking Yumi--it's all very thrilling. Between this show and Madlax, I should learn to stop ragging on otherwise good anime after only seeing one episode. ^_^; [b]Gankutuou:[/b] Gankutuou is a science-fiction version of The Count of Monte Cristo. I'll admit, the whole concept struck me as being rather wonky until I saw the [i]amazing[/i] trailer. Artistically, the series takes anime in a totally different direction than most current shows, forgoing detailed cel-shading for flat but very striking and colorful character designs. If nothing else, it'll definitely be quite stylish. [b]Soukyuu no Fafnir:[/b] I'm actually not all that enthusiastic about this series... the character designs were created by the same man who worked on Gundam SEED, s-CRY-ed and Infinite Ryvius, and it's almost painfully obvious. I guess people who like his work will want to see Soukyuu no Fafnir, but I wish he'd at least have attempted to make its characters look a [i]tiny[/i] bit different from those in other popular anime. [b]Otogizoushi:[/b] From what I've heard, Otogizoushi's plot is somewhat similar to Mulan's. That in and of itself captured my attention, since I really enjoy stories about women who achieve great success in traditional male roles, especially those related to fighting or the military (Mulan, Joan of Arc, and so forth). For me personally, the artwork is also immensely appealing--very realistic and muted, but not to the point of seeming drab. So, what anime are you anticipating? :) ~Dagger~

[quote name='Arika][size=1][color=#999999]...what is unnecessary in the OB, adempton? I can see that you are a new member here and perhaps you do not know what is relevant and irrelevant.[/size'][/color][/quote] It's at times like these that I really have difficulty suppressing my inner flamer. Old members do not deserve more respect than newcomers; if anything, they should know better than to bore others with their arrogance and holier-than-thou rhetoric. [QUOTE=Arika][size=1][color=#999999]I would also like to add, who gives a flying crap about sarcasm and [B]criticism[/B]? In life, there is nothing [i]but[/i] [B]criticism [/B] and sarcasm.... ...It is like I am living in a nightmare where these newbies are roaming around, [B]criticizing[/B] older members' works! Will no one wake me up? Will no one come and save me from these horrid dreams that haunt me?[/size][/color][/QUOTE] How very amusing (though unintentionally so)... Anyway, I'm into anime/manga and reading. The former is a pretty expensive hobby, so I usually borrow regular novels from the library in order to avoid spending money on them. For some reason I seem to get more mileage out of DVDs--perhaps I'm just pickier when it comes to books. I have rather specific tastes, although there's little I won't read if someone I trust recommends it. Barring that, I mostly stick with fantasy, older romantic novels like [I]Jane Eyre[/I] and comedic science fiction. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Monkey_Orange][COLOR=DarkOrange']Will I ever finish this show? THAT is the question.[/COLOR][/quote] Volume 1 (which will contain five episodes in English and Japanese) is set to come out on August 24. You can either buy the single-disc version or the disc plus artbox set. I think the first artbox looks wonderfully spiffy, so I included a picture of it below. [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19802&stc=1[/IMG] Best of all, the R1 DVDs--like the Japanese release--are going to be in anamorphic widescreen. I believe that ADV plans to split the series into ten discs, with two separate artboxes. This means the individual DVDs should have excellent episode counts, considering that Get Backers is almost fifty episodes long. :) ~Dagger~

You know, I think I've been a wee bit unfair in judging FMP so hastily. Part of the problem is that I started purchasing it around the same time I began watching RahXephon (one of the best anime [i]ever[/i] made). I also had ridiculously high expectations for the series, since many fans raved about it when first few volumes were released. Full Metal Panic is a fun, semi-serious romp. Considered in that context, it succeeds well enough to satisfy--and besides, the mecha battles are pretty damn awesome. :D ~Dagger~

Yeah, Hunter x Hunter does start slowly. Wait until you meet Kurapica (he's the blonde in the opening animation) and Killua. The guy in the suit is called Leorio, by the way. Once the four main characters meet, things really get going and I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun just watching them bicker and interact. In terms of sheer shounen-ai potential, this show is nowhere near the level of Kyou Kara Maou (haha, that would be awesome)... I haven't seen much of Get Backers yet, but I think Hunter x Hunter is somewhat similar to the series in that it's very, [i]very[/i] easy to figure out who would get together with who if it were indeed a shounen-ai anime. After all, Gon x Killua is a total no-brainer. This could also be said of Leorio and Kurapica, only to a slightly lesser extent. Now, what I want to know is why Hunter x Hunter hasn't yet been licensed. Considering the relative popularity of shounen fighting series and Yu Yu Hakusho's success over here in the States, the lack of an R1 release is sort of surprising. ~Dagger~

If I had to pick the best shounen action series ever made, I would choose either Yu Yu Hakusho or Hunter x Hunter (both of which, incidentally, were created by the ingenious Yoshihiro Togashi). Anyway, I've seen up to episode 25, and I plan on watching the rest of the TV series pretty soon... there are a bunch of OVAs, but those come later. Hunter x Hunter is just [i]brilliant[/i]. I love this show; in my opinion, it's vastly superior to pretty much every other anime in the genre--including Inuyasha, Rurouni Kenshin, Naruto, Dragonball Z and so forth. Hunter x Hunter's wonderful character development, smoothly animated action sequences and perfect pacing make it an utter joy to watch. I particularly appreciate the fact that tactics and basic intelligence have a greater bearing on the fights' end results than strength or even experience. Hunter x Hunter's shounen-ai undertones are merely a pleasant bonus. ;) It's difficult for me to choose one character over the rest, since I'm fond of nearly everyone except for Tompa. Gon is too damn cute for words, and Kurapica just radiates coolness (he's a bit like Yu Yu Hakusho's Kurama in that respect). Leorio can be annoying, but usually he's likeable and suprisingly competent. Hisoka fascinates me, and with good reason--Togashi has a real knack for coming up with complicated, unpredictable pseudo-villains. Killua, however, would probably have to be my favorite. He's adorable, easygoing [i]and[/i] amazingly badass, without the grumpy stubbornness that occasionally makes Hiei difficult to love. Killua's close friendship with Gon is one of those things that compells me to say "Awww..." nearly every three seconds--and I'm usually impervious to anime-style cuteness. His character design rocks, and I find it amusing that a skateboard is his only visible weapon. *grins* So, does anybody want to talk pairings? ~Dagger~

Shi no Tenshi, please keep in mind that this thread is part of the [i]anime[/i] forum. ;) I thought Witch Hunter Robin's ending was pretty terrible. After the show's well-executed and highly suspenseful middle arc, I expected it to end with some kind of epic clash (either physical or ideological in nature--R.O.D the TV did not feature a lengthy last battle, but its main characters had so much invested in the outcome of their central conflict that the final episodes felt incredibly exciting and dramatic even without an abundance of action). So it wasn't the lack of a brutally bloody witch versus witch showdown that upset me... it was the fact that the show's primary villain didn't seem all that cruel or villainous. Moreover, he practically went down without a fight. This, combined with WHR's failure to provide the viewer with a satisfactory amount of closure, just totally ruined my enjoyment of the series. I've been bitching about that ever since WHR completed its first run on Adult Swim. ^_^; EDIT: Okita, am I correct in assuming you're a fan of Peacemaker Kurogane? :) ~Dagger~

[quote name='Harry']I immediately block anyone who sends me that crap.[/quote] Likewise. People who buy into this kind of thing or think it should be passed on to others are simply not worth associating with. ~Dagger~

In the future, Saragenyo, don't double-post. I won't delete your second reply, as it's well-written and would have made your original post overly long if I chose to merge them. However, please bear in mind that OtakuBoards' rules strictly forbid any manner of consecutive posting. Thanks! :) ~Dagger~

[quote name='Black_Phoenix']What is CN thinking? :confused:[/quote] The general consensus seems to be that they're furtively trying to find out whether or not action anime can attract a decent audience on Friday nights. Since--to my knowledge, at least--Adult Swim currently only plays Sunday-Thursday and Saturday, it's possible they could consider adding a block of anime to the Friday evening line-up (based on .hack//DUSK's and Cyborg 009's performance in the ratings). *shrugs* Naturally, this is all wild speculation. ~Dagger~

Silent Shadows, please post in the official .hack//SIGN thread if you'd like to discuss the show. Telling us that you purchased a bootleg won't inspire an incredible amount of confidence in your judgment, so it might be a good idea to focus on the anime itself rather than on how you came to acquire it. ;) Both of you could put a bit more effort into your posts as well. Correct grammer, spelling and punctuation are fairly important here at OtakuBoards; no member should have trouble figuring out what you're trying to say. Anyway, I or one of the other moderators would be more than happy to offer you some guidance if you don't quite understand the rules. It's what we're here for, right? Thread closed. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Silent Shadows']Is that on on demand? -_-[/quote] This is spam, Silent Shadows. Questions about TV schedules are best reserved for the television line-ups thread, and in any case you could find the answer much more quickly by simply using Google (or the search engine of your preference). If you have questions about OtakuBoards' rules and policies, please feel free to PM me or one of the other moderators. Thank you very much. ^_^ ~Dagger~

[quote name='SasukeUchiha']To be honest I dont want NAruto to be released in America, and if they do, I do not want it on television. All they do is mess up a good story, and it will get popular, and it will become a kiddie trend or just get so overexposed most people will get sick of it. Look at DragonballZ/GT, they did so much with that, that many people are sick of it, and to be honest it is a great anime. Overexposure= teh suckage, Naruto should either go right to DVD (with anyone but 4kids) or just stay in Japan.[/quote] Too late, babe. Naruto is already quite overexposed. ;) I'll admit that Naruto fans are partially justified in being worried about licensing, considering that 4Kids would probably love to sink their claws into the series. However, generally speaking there's no good reason to be against a particular show coming out in America. R1 sales are very, very important to Japanese anime companies, and certain American distributors (mainly ADV and Geneon) have co-produced truly excellent anime (such as Kino's Journey, which is just insanely awesome). Anyway, what I mean to say is that the money generated by American DVDs actually does a lot to help bolster the anime market in Japan--and heaven knows Naruto will be American industry's biggest cash cow in [I]years[/I]. Unless you've been faithfully buying the R2 version of this series as well as following the digisubs, you've been doing zip to support it. When Naruto comes out in the States, you'll not only be able to watch it with totally accurate subtitles and super-nice video quality (and an English track as well, if you're into dubs), you'll also be able to give a little back to the creators of an anime you love. Of course, this is based on the somewhat optimistic assumption that Naruto is not destined to be licensed by 4Kids or Nelvana. Keep your fingers crossed, folks. But seriously, there's a big difference between FoxBox, which deals almost entirely with hideously butchered shows, Cartoon Network and The Anime Network (ADV's channel). As far as I know, TAN doesn't censor its series. Adult Swim's edits tend to be pretty minimal and shouldn't affect most people's enjoyment of its anime. While Toonami's censorship is usually much more severe, I think Naruto (if picked up by CN) would probably air on AS alongside properties like Inuyasha and the upcoming Fullmetal Alchemist. No_Regrets: FUNimation recently obtained the right to release uncut, bilingual Shaman King and Yu-Gi-Oh DVDs. This goes to show that even if Naruto gets taken by 4Kids, you can still have something to hope for. :) ~Dagger~

[quote name='DeathBug']Did he make those promises before or after 9/11?[/quote] Even supposing he did (in which case not keeping them would be excusable), many of the administration's reconstruction-related promises and goals have been broken or not met. You can refer to my earlier post for some specific examples of this. ~Dagger~

I've been toying with the idea of buying the Saiyuki DVDs for at least half a year; my main concern is that I tend to be pretty finicky about long shounen fighting series. The only ones I really love and would happily watch again are Getbackers, Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter. Inuyasha, Naruto and (to a lesser extent) Rurouni Kenshin just have no replay value for me. If you had to compare Saiyuki to any other action anime, which would you choose? ~Dagger~